Bloodstream infections
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2026.49.67557Keywords
vascular access infections, bloodstream infections (BSI), sepsis, antibiotic therapy, antimicrobial resistance, vascular catheters, healthcare-associated infections (HAI), blood culture, septic shockAbstract
Vascular bed infections (BSI) are a significant clinical problem. They are characterized by a high mortality rate, which is both a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The aim of the study is to discuss in detail the etiology, epidemiology and classification of bloodstream infections, as well as their impact on inpatients and outpatients. Vascular bed infections can be classified as nosocomial or community-derived, and the incidence varies depending on the age group and the patient's contact with the medical community. In particular, older patients and immunocompromised patients are at higher risk of developing BSI, which is associated with a higher risk of severe complications such as sepsis and septic shock. Blood cultures are primarily used in diagnostics, but new technologies such as MALDI-TOF can speed up the process. Treatment is based on early initiation of antibiotic therapy, which should be adapted to the sensitivity of the pathogens and the source of infection. The paper also highlights the importance of monitoring bacterial resistance and adapting therapies to the changing epidemiological profile. The conclusions of the study are aimed at increasing the effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment of vascular bed infections, which is crucial in improving patients' health outcomes.
References
1. Viscoli C., Bloodstream Infections: The peak of the iceberg, Taylor & Francis, 2016; 7:3, 248-251
DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2016.1152440
2. National Antibiotic Protection Program. Definitions of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) in force since 1 January 2016, Ministry of Health, 2016; http://antybiotyki.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/dokumenty/Definicje_HAI-10_10_17.pdf
3. M.E.A. de Kraker, Jarlier V., Monen J.C.M, Heuer O.E., N. van de Sande, Grundmann H., The changing epidemiology of bacteraemias in Europe: trends from the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System, Elsevier, 2013; 19:9, 860–868
DOI: 10.1111/1469-0691.12028
4. Laupland K.B., Church D.L., Population-Based Epidemiology and Microbiology of Community-Onset Bloodstream Infections, American Society for Microbiology, 2014; 27:4, 647-664 DOI: /10.1128/CMR.00002-14
5. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Healthcare-associated infections acquired in intensive care units. In: ECDC. Annual epidemiological report for 2017, ECDC; 2019; https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/AER_for_2017-HAI.pdf
6. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Point prevalence survey of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in European acute care hospitals, ECDC; 2013; DOI: 10.2900/86011
7. Nomura, F., Tsuchida, S., Murata, S. et al. Mass spectrometry-based microbiological testing for blood stream infection. Clin Proteom 17, 14 (2020); DOI: 10.1186/s12014-020-09278-7
8. S. Gnat, D. Łagowski, A. Nowakiewicz, Application of the MALDI-TOF MS technique to identify dermatophytes, Advances in Microbiology, 2020;
9. B. Podgórska, D. Kędzia, Staphylococcus epidermidis as an etiological factor of nosocomial infections, Advances in Microbiology, 2018, 57, 4, 348–359; DOI: 10.21307/PM-2018.57.4.348
10. Mayr F.B, Yende S., Angus D.C, Epidemiology of severe sepsis, Virulence, 2013, 5:1, 4-11; DOI: 10.4161/viru.27372
11. Bassetti M, Righi E., Carnelutti A., Bloodstream infections in the Intensive Care Unit, Virulence, 2016, 7:3, 267-279; DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2015.1134072
12. Gustinetti G., Mikulska M., Bloodstream infections in neutropenic cancer patients: A practical update, Virulence, 2016, 7:3, 280-297; DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2016.1156821
13. Cockerill FR 3rd, Wilson JW, Vetter EA, Goodman KM, Torgerson CA, Harmsen WS, Schleck CD, Ilstrup DM, Washington JA 2nd, and Wilson WR. 2004. Optimal testing parameters for blood cultures. Clin. infect. Dis. 38:1724–1730
14. Zadroga R, Williams DN, Gottschall R, Hanson K, Nordberg V, Deike M, Kuskowski M, Carlson L, Nicolau DP, Sutherland C, and Hansen GT. 2013. Comparison of 2 blood culture media shows significant differences in bacterial recovery for patients on antimicrobial therapy. Clin. infect. Dis. 56:790–797.
15. Walker RC, Henry NK, Washington JA 2nd, and Thompson RL. 1986. Lysis-centrifugation blood culture technique. Clinical impact in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Arch. Intern. Med. 146:2341–2343.
16. DesJardin JA, Falagas ME, Ruthazer R, Griffith J, Wawrose D, Schenkein D, Miller K, and Snydman DR. 1999. Clinical utility of blood cultures drawn from indwelling central venous catheters in hospitalized patients with cancer. Ann. Intern. Med. 131:641–647.
17. Leisure MK, Moore DM, Schwartzman JD, Hayden GF, and Donowitz LG. 1990. Changing the needle when inoculating blood cultures. A no-benefit and high-risk procedure. CAMA 264:2111–2112.
18. Mikulska, M., Del Bono, P. Bruzzi, A. M. Raiola, Gualandi, F., T. Van Lint, M., Bacigalupo, A., Viscoli Mortality after bloodstream infections in allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, Infection 40, 271–278 (2012). DOI: 10.1007/s15010-011-0229-y
19. Pohlman JK, Kirkley BA, Easley KA, Basille BA, and Washington JA. 1995. Controlled clinical evaluation of BACTEC Plus Aerobic/F and BacT/Alert Aerobic FAN bottles for detection of bloodstream infections. J. Clin. Microbiol. 33:2856–2858.
20. Lee A, Mirrett S, Reller LB, and Weinstein MP. 2007. Detection of bloodstream infections in adults: how many blood cultures are needed? J. Clin. Microbiol. 45:3546–3548.
21. National Antibiotic Protection Program. Indications for microbiological testing in hospitalized patients, 2015, Ministry of Health, 2015; http://antybiotyki.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/Rekomendacje/wskazania_do_badan_okladka_int.pdf
22. Weinstein MP, Reller LB, Murphy JR, and Lichtenstein KA. 1983. The clinical significance of positive blood cultures: a comprehensive analysis of 500 episodes of bacteremia and fungemia in adults. I. Laboratory and epidemiologic observations. Rev. Infect. Dis. 5:35–53
23. Hall K.K. and Lyman JA. 2006. Updated review of blood culture contamination. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 19:788–802.
24. Chu VH, Woods CW, Miro JM, Hoen B, Cabell CH, Pappas PA, Federspiel J, Athan E, Stryjewski ME, Nacinovich F, Marco F, Levine DP, Elliott TS, Fortes CQ, Tornos P, Gordon DL, Utili R, Delahaye F, Corey GR, and Fowler VG Jr 2008. Emergence of coagulase-negative staphylococci as a cause of native valve endocarditis. Clin. infect. Dis. 46:232–242.
25. Maharaj B, Coovadia Y, and Vayej AC. 2012. An investigation of the frequency of bacteraemia following dental extraction, tooth brushing and chewing. Cardiovasc. J. Afr. 23:340–344.
26. Levy MJ, Norton ID, Clain JE, Enders FB, Gleeson F, Limburg PJ, Nelson H, Rajan E, Topazian MD, Wang KK, Wiersema MJ, and Wilson WR. 2007. Prospective study of bacteremia and complications with EUS FNA of rectal and perirectal lesions. Clin. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 5:684–689.
27. Konstantinou E, Argyra E, Avraamidou A, Fotis T, Tsakiri M, Voros D, and Baltopoulos G. 2008. Difficult intubation provokes bacteremia. Surg. Infect. 9:521–524.
28. Zani EL, Clark OA, and Rodrigues Netto N Jr 2011. Antibiotic prophylaxis for transrectal prostate biopsy. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 2011:CD006576.
29. Elzi L, Babouee B, Vogeli N, Laffer R, Dangel M, Frei R, Battegay M, and Widmer AF. 2012. How to discriminate contamination from bloodstream infection due to coagulase-negative staphylococci: a prospective study with 654 patients. Clin. Microbiol. infect. 18:E355–E361.
30. Taramasso L., Tatarelli P. Di Biagio A., Bloodstream infections in HIV-infected patients, Virulence, 2016, 7:3, 320-328; DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2016.1158359
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Kinga Rogowska-Borettini, Paweł Arkadiusz Malmur, Weronika Biaduń-Mućko, Aleksandra Romanowska, Maria Wysieńska, Piotr Jóźwiak, Adam Rybak

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 42
Number of citations: 0